Headlight



C. H. ALLEN.

HEADLIGH..

APPLICATION FILED oc. 18. 1920.

1,416,434. Patented May 16,1922.

UNITED STAr es PATENT QFFICE.

CHARLES H. ALLEN, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

i HELADLIGHT.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES I-I. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States.j and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county ol" Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Ileadlight; and I do hereby declare that the tollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals ot' reference marked thereon, which Aform a part of this specification.

This invention relates more particularly to a headlight for vehicles or automobiles in which reflectors are utilized to rel-lect the luminous rays in horizontal lines to a vertical lens and in which a separate pilot light and reflector are used to diverge the rays thereof downwardly and `is van .improvement o1 my pending application Serial No. 399,736, liled July 29, 1920.

It is an object oi this invention Vto use a system 'of reflectors that will project the luminous rays ot' light in horizontal lines below a certain elevation to a plain lens.

And it is a further obj ect oi' my inventief- 1 to provide a separate pilot or auf- ;iliary light and a reflector there for which will reflect the rays downwardly through a plain lens tor the purpose ol displaying the road and contour thereof in irontor the machine.

@ther and further objects will be apparent from the following description and disclos` ures in the drawings.v o f y My invention (in a preferred lorm) is illustrated in the drawings andhereinalfter more fully described.

In the drawingsf Figure l is a central vertical through my headlight.

Figure 2 is a front face view .thereof on a smaller scale. l

Figure 3 is a rear View of the saine on smaller scale. l

Figure l is a section on the line a-et of section Figure l.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5--5 ot Figure l.

s` shown in the drawings- Similar features are denoted by similar reference numerals in the different view.

In referring to the drawings, it will be noted that my improved headlight comprises' a pair of reflectors so arranged that the luminous rays of light leave the last refleet-or in horizontal planes, and pass unre! i Specification of Letters Patent. Patented lway 16, 1922 Application filed October 1S, 1920. Serial No. 417,648.

fracted 'through a plain lens, and that a pilot or auxiliary light having a separate reflector is used to light the way directly in front of the moving vehicle or automobile; it is therelore possible to extinguish the main light and use merely trie pilot or auxiliary l where city ordinances or regulations placed certain restrictions on the lights used, such as the elevation or volume olf the lli-- minous rays.

.In Figure l, I have illustrated a headlight structure comprising a hood member l having` a curved base terminating in a curved rear portion 2 which connects with an upwardly inclined rear portion 3 and at the top, a short curved portion 4l is formed, producii'ig` a substantially oval shaped front. The liront partot the hood is closed by a metal plate 5 or the like having main lens 6 and an auxiliary lens 7 secured in apertures therein as shown in Figures l and 2. rl`he ei;- act shape and Yform ol the hood may however be varier and changed, to suit any particular arrangeznent. rlhe present device is merely illustrative ota ttorm adapted 'lor the are rangement ot reliectors used.

Within the hood, there is secured a substantially parabolic shaped reliector 5S oli anyY suitable material such as a mirror lor ex* ample and which is provided with boss 9 its apex which extends through an aperture in the base and is securedby means of the nuts l0. Centrally ot the boss 9` extends an incandescent lamp ll or the like which I term the main light and which is secured in any approved manner in the boss 9 oit the re- Hector 8. rlChe bulb ot the light ll may be so constructed or formed that the emergence oiE certain objectionable rays will be obstructed so that substantially only rays which are vertically reflected from the reflector 8 will be emitted therefrom.

The inclined rear portion is preferably arranged at an angle of 45 with a horizontal or vertical plane for supporting the reflec- Cfr ported in a block 16 having an upper face inclined at sul'istantially an angle of L150 the light 15 being mounted substantially normal to said surface, so as to be inclined toward the lens 7. The block 16 and pilotlight 15 are inclosed between the lens 7 and a curved reflector 17, and the curvature and arrangement is such that the luminous rays that are emitted from light 15 will be reflected in a downward direction from the reflector 17, and pass through the lens 15 where a slight refraction will occur according to the index of refraction of the glass used; the emergent rays being however parallel to the incident rays, so the downward course of the rays will continue. lt is well known that the angle of' reflection is equal to the angle of incidence, so the curvature of the reflector 17 can be easily designed to give the reflected rays a downward course.

ln using the headlight shown, the same is supported upon its base, so that the front face will he in a vertical plane, and assuming that the lights are turned on, the emitted rays will strike the parabolic reflector 8 and the majority thereof' will be reflected in vertical planes, or planes parallel to the axis ofl the parabolic curve, since most of the rays of light will strike the reflector at such an angle that an equal angle of" the reflected ray will produce a ray in a vertical plane, for the angles of incidence and reflection are equal. Hence these vertical rays will strike the reflector 12 at an angle of 450 and the reflected rays will likewise be at an angle ot 450, which angle will produce horizontal rays passingY through the lens (5. lt should be understood that while l have used the terms vertical and horizontal, they are merely relative terms co-rresponding with the position the device is illustrated. lt is therefore obvious that either of' the lights may be extinguished occasion may require, and on highways where the main glaring lights are objectionable, the pilot lights will afford ample service, and on long country roads, where it is desirable to view the road some distance ahead as well as the immediate contour in front of the automobile or vehicle, both lights can be advantageously used. In connection with the foregoing description it is to be particularly noted that the improved head-light ot this invention may often be advantageously used in a reversed position from the one shown. ldlhen the headlight is used in this manner, rays from the main light which do not strike the main reflector 8 to be reflected axially therefrom, arethrown downwardly on the highway immediately in front of thevehicle and efficiently illuminate the same, In this case the pilot light is used merely as signal or dimmer light for city driving where a strong light is not necessary.

lt will accordingly be observed that l have devised a headlight which possesses the advantages of meeting any need or requirement in touring either city or country roads, which utilizes to the best advantage the theory of light reflection, making it possible to direct the main luminous ray producing light in a different direction than toward the front of the car. noted that the light 11 is concealed from horizontal view by means of the reflector 8 and that only the emitted rays are exhibited.

l claim as my invention:

In a. headlight, casing having a lower base portion, a parabolic reflector secured in said base portion, an incandescent light secured centrally of said reflector and extendingv upwardly, a reflector secured to the baclr of said casing at an angle to the axis of the parabolic reflector7 a supporting member secured on said base in front of the par abolie reflector', a pilot light secured to said supporting member and inclined forwardly with respect to the base, a lens holder in the front of said casing, an upper main lens secured in said holder, a lower pilot light lens secured in said holder, and a curved reflector extending from the top of said pilot lens to the said base and secured to the rear portion of said pilot light supporting member.

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. Y

CHARLES H. ALLEN.

Vllitnesses CARLTON HILL, EARL M. HARDINE,

It should be particularly l 

